The invention relates to neutron tubes or sources, and more particularly to neutron tubes or sources based on plasma ion generators, including compact neutron tubes or sources which generate a relatively high neutron flux using the D-D reaction.
Conventional neutron tubes employ a Penning ion source and a single gap extractor. The target is a deuterium or tritium chemical embedded in a molybdenum or tungsten substrate. Neutron yield is limited by the ion source performance and beam size. The production of neutrons is limited by the beam current and power deposition on the target. In the conventional neutron tube, the extraction aperture and the target are limited to small areas, and so is the neutron output flux.
Commercial neutron tubes have used the impact of deuterium on tritium (D-T) for neutron production. The deuterium-on-deuterium (D-D) reaction, with a cross section for production a hundred times lower, has not been able to provide the necessary neutron flux. It would be highly desirable and advantageous to make high flux D-D neutron sources feasible. This will greatly increase the lifetime of the neutron generator, which is unsatisfactory at present. For field applications, it would greatly reduce transport and operational safety concerns. For applications such as mine detection, where thermal neutrons are presently used, the use of the lower energy D-D neutrons (2.45 MeV rather than 14.1 MeV) also would decrease the size of the neutron moderator.
The present invention has three potential competitors for field or small-laboratory use: (1) isotopic sources based on a sample of a radioactive substance, e.g. californium-252, that emits neutrons; (2) accelerator sources, usually based on an ion source feeding a radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) linac and thence a neutron production target; and (3) conventional neutron tubes. Of these, the most direct and significant competitors are commercially available neutron tubes. As for the others, RFQ-based sources have never become a major commercial presence due to cost and complexity, and the safety concerns and lack of time structure that are inherent to isotopic sources limit their applications.
Neutronics can identify possible explosives and nuclear materials by their composition, not just by their shape or density the way x-ray machines do. Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, detection of explosives and fissionable materials has become an urgent national need. Detecting such materials hidden in baggage or cargo is challenging under real-world conditions. Thermal neutron analysis (TNA) has been tried for inspection of checked baggage and cargo at airports. Low-energy neutrons cause nitrogen in explosives to emit gamma rays and cause fissile materials to give off neutrons of their own. The first-generation TNA screeners were too large, complex, and expensive; FAA-approved screening devices presently on the market use x-rays to look at shapes and densities, rather than using neutronics to detect actual composition.
Besides the obvious considerations of cost-effectiveness and acceptable footprint, systems for inspecting baggage and cargo must offer trustworthiness (reliability combined with freedom from both false positives and false negatives), plus high throughput so that spot checks can be replaced by comprehensive inspection without bottlenecking an already heavily burdened process. Systems are also needed for relatively nonintrusive inspection of larger objects, e.g. an intermodal cargo container, or a vehicle. Detection of land mines or unexploded ordnance is another related application of great worldwide importance. A compact neutron generator design with a high neutron flux and adapted for these uses would be highly advantageous.
Neutron logging instruments consist of a neutron generator and gamma-ray detector packaged so as to fit into a small (e.g. 2-inch-diameter) borehole. Analyzing the gamma ray spectrum due to neutron capture and inelastic scattering in the subsurface allows elements in the medium to be identified. Applications include oil and mineral exploration, and basic geological studies. A neutron generator design with a high neutron flux and adapted for use in a borehole would be highly advantageous.